1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a disk drive, and more particularly, to a flexible cable for electrically connecting a movable optical pickup to a fixed board in a disk drive.
2. Background of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a related art disk drive. FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic sectional views of a flexible cable used for connecting an optical pickup to a main board in the related art disk drive.
Referring to FIGS. 1-2B, a main base 1 forms a frame of the disk drive. The main base 1 includes a main board 2 on which a variety of parts for controlling the driving of the disk drive are installed. The main base 1 has a generally rectangular hole 2A at a center thereof, and a pickup base 3 is installed in the hole. The pickup base 3 is supported on the main base 1 at a rear end thereof by vibration-proof members 5 made, for example, of elastic material and configured to absorb vibrations and noises.
A spindle motor 7 configured to rotate a disk is positioned on the pickup base 3. A disk is seated on a turntable 8 which is provided at a top end of the spindle motor 7 and which is configured to be rotated by the spindle motor 7. An optical pickup 9 is installed on the pickup base 3 and is guided along guide shafts 10. The optical pickup 9 records or reads out signals by irradiating a signal-recording surface of the disk with light. The optical pickup 9 is driven by a sled motor (not shown) to move along the guide shafts 10.
An electrical connection between the optical pickup 9, which moves along the guide shafts 10, and the main board 2 is established by a flexible cable 11, generally referred to as a “FFC” (Flexible Flat Cable), as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B. The flexible cable 11 is flexible such that it can be freely bent to a certain extent. One end of the flexible cable 11 is connected to the main board 2 by a connector 11c and the other end thereof is connected to the optical pickup 9 so as to transmit signals between the main board 2 and the optical pickup 9.
A front end of the pickup base 3 is supported on a lift base 12. The lift base 12 is installed so that a front end thereof can be pivoted on a shaft 13 that functions as a center of rotation. Vibration-proof members 5′ are interposed between the lift base 12 and the pickup base 3 to support the pickup base 3 on the lift base 12 and prevent transmission of vibrations and noises.
In the related art disk drive described above, the optical pickup 9 records signals on the disk or reproduces recorded signals while moving along the guide shafts 10 by means of a driving force from the sled motor (not shown). The flexible cable 11 is used for transmitting signals between the optical pickup 9 and the main board 2. Since the flexible cable 11 can be freely bent to a certain extent, as described above, it may be installed to be bent and protrude toward a side opposite to the optical pickup 9 with respect to the connector 11c, as shown in FIG. 2A. Further, when the optical pickup 9 moves toward the turntable 8, the flexible cable is pulled by the optical pickup 9, as shown in FIG. 2B.
However, there is the following problem in the related art disk drive described above. The flexible cable 11 is installed to protrude toward a side opposite to the optical pickup 9 with respect to the connector 11c for connection to the main board 2, making a connection between the main board 2 and the optical pickup 9. As the flexible cable 11 is installed as such, it is not possible to install other parts in a region A (see FIGS. 2A-2B) opposite to the optical pickup 9 with respect to the connector 11c. Therefore, there is the disadvantage that a length of a portion of the disk drive behind the optical pickup 9 relatively increases.